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George made his way into the room looking like a condemned man walking the Green Mile. His button-down dress shirt was itchy, his new dress slacks chafed his legs, and the tie his sister had fastened on him on the way out the door was blocking his airway. Hey, there was a thought! Maybe if he fainted, he could be excused from this-
“Hello? Are you George Blanco?” The blond was gorgeous, her head of bouncy curls taking his breath away. She was five-foot-five if he didn’t miss his mark - being a professional tailor had its advantages - and the nervous but excited smile on her pale, pink lips somehow set his mind at ease. “I’m sorry if you’re not. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I’m just… I’m waiting for-”
“I’m him,” George squeaked to his horror. Coughing into his hand and voice didn’t crack again like he was a teenager, he cleared his throat and tried again. God, why did he allow his big sister to talk him into going on a blind date? Because if you didn’t, you’d be sitting at home by yourself with only Mr. Burns to keep you company as you binge-watched Friends. Again.
“George is me. I mean, I’m him. I mean…” he trailed off as the woman he was attempting to woo or court or whatever the hip kids called it these days, giggled. He smiled back at her, something about her tinkling laughter calming his nerves. “Apologies. I’ve never been on a blind date before. And you look much too gorgeous to be on one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she said sharply, the humor draining out of her instantly. Hating that he was the cause of her ire, he cleared his throat again and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“I meant no offense, miss. I just… A woman that looks like a starlet has no business being caught up in Melody’s scheming. You could have them lining up around the block. You deserve better than boring old me.” There. A group of sentences that made sense and didn’t leave him feeling like a 12-year-old. Since he was 25, that was not a compliment to himself. The perplexed look on the woman’s face was endearing. At least she hadn’t thrown her water in his face and left yet.
The night is still young, he thought snidely with a snort.
“Um… So, you’re Kara, right? My sister didn’t tell me a lot about you before she shoved me out the door.”
“You had to be shoved out the door too?” the blond gasped in delight, taking her seat. “Oh, and yes. I’m Kara Bonz. You’re George Blanco. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Same,” he nodded, taking his seat at the table. “I feel like I should have brought flowers or chocolates or something. But me being the dufus I am, didn’t think of it until I walked in the door. I was going to go grab something, But I didn’t want you to think I stood you up, so…” he shrugged helplessly, anxiously straightening his silverware and fiddling with the empty plate in front of him.
“You… No offense, but you are very hard on yourself, George.”
“Sorry,” he apologized immediately. “It’s… I get self-deprecating when I’m nervous. And this is the most nervous I’ve been since my big science fair presentation back in high school.”
“Wow,” Kara leaned forward as if they were trading confidences. “What happened?”
“Before or after I passed out and fell onto my project, destroying it in front of the judges?” He smiled at her tinkling laughter. “I think I’d rather jump into a tank of hungry piranhas covered in bacon than do another presentation.”
Kara laughed again, obviously tickled pink at the visual. “I don’t have a traumatic story to share about my public speaking. Which is good for me since I’m in PR. I will admit to feeling butterflies in my stomach when I face a boardroom table full of hard-nosed executives. But that feeling mixes with the adrenaline rush of swaying their opinions and it ends up being a breeze.” She peeked at him, seeming to be gauging his reaction before continuing. “I’ve always been opinionated and driven, so I’m in the perfect position to represent my company to others. Plus, I truly believe in what we’re doing, so that helps. What about you? What are you passionate about?”
George fidgeted at the turn in the conversation. He was not one to toot his own horn or sing his own praises, so he felt awkward. “I um… I’m…”
“Come on, Georgie, you’ve got to be passionate about something. Melody never would have set us up if we weren’t compatible. It’s okay to tell me, I promise I won’t laugh. What are you passionate about?”
“The perfect inseam,” he blurted in a rush. His date sat back, blinking, so he rushed on before she decided to bail on him. “I’ve always been obsessed with the cut of people’s clothes. My father still thinks I’m in the closet. But that’s not it. There’s something about coaxing the confidence out of a client by finding that perfect style of pants for an executive. Or preparing a wardrobe for the powerful women who trust me to show their beauty to the world. I don’t know,” He shrugged uncomfortably, “most people don’t think that way, so I usually don’t talk about it. But I love being a tailor. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else for a living.” He picked up the water glass closest to him and took a large swallow, staring into the eyes of this perfect stranger and willing her to understand. Kara smiled like the sun rising and he felt his nerves settle slightly.
“It never occurred to me the significance of the clothes we wear,” she said, nodding to herself. “Also, for the record, you just drank out of my glass.”
It was all he could do not to spit out the water he’d been chugging. His face turned an alarming shade of purple as he forced himself to swallow. “I’m so sorry,” he gasped. The woman only laughed, catching the attention of some of the surrounding tables.
“You should have seen your face,” she giggled, her entire focus on him. “Don’t worry, Georgie-boy. I don’t have any diseases in my mouth. It’s natural for you to reach to your right for a drink. I happen to be a lefty, so I grabbed that glass without thinking.” George was saved from coming up with a response as the server arrived. Since neither of them had looked at the menu yet, Kara ordered a glass of white wine and George ordered a rum and Coke. Waiting for the server to leave, he caught Kara’s blue eyes and noticed that they had flecks of amber in them. Then she smiled at him, and he looked away, mortified at being caught staring.
“So… Um… I’m not sure what the standard is for blind dates. I’ve never been on one before. Are there topics that are off-limits? I don’t want to make too big of a fool of myself.” He gulped when she reached across the table to grasp his hand. He was used to being the one to soothe his coworkers. It was a bit disconcerting to be on the receiving end of comfort. It was… nice.
“Relax. You’re doing good for your first blind date. You should have seen me on my first one.”
“This isn’t… this isn’t new for you?” he asked in awe.
“Not by a long shot,” she chuckled. “My friends delight in setting me up with random guys when one or another of them get in their heads to ‘fix’ my love life.” She shrugged. "I don’t mind. Most of them are repulsed by my strong personality. But it gets me out of the house and there’s nothing like a free meal once in a while to help with a girl’s self-esteem. I used to get so nervous. But now I just go with it.” This time he laughed along with her.
George grinned, picking up the menu. This time when the server came back, the two were ready to order. Once the server took off to place their order, George asked the question that had been tickling his brain about her food choice.
“Duck? You don’t find it greasy?” He smiled when she shrugged.
“I usually order duck when I’m on a blind date. Duck is quite delicious when prepared correctly. It does double duty at these things. I get to evaluate how good the chefs are and I get to see how my date reacts to my choice.”
George thought about that before nodding. “I can appreciate a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it.”
“Thank you,” she said, glowing with praise. “I take it that chicken is your meat of choice?” she asked teasingly.
“I'm not what most people would consider an Alpha male,” he admitted, looking at his expertly tailored suit. “It's never been my style to chase women-”
“Thus, the blind date,” Kara grinned knowingly, swirling her wine a little before taking an appreciative sip.
“Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the Alphas of the world. I clothe them regularly. The world needs more Betas like me. We run the world while they boast and beat their chests.” He looked down at the table sheepishly. “But it’s a given that we Betas don’t get the girl. So, I understand if this is a letdown for you.” He looked up in surprise when she laughed.
“Are you kidding me? You are the most interesting tailor I’ve ever met,” Kara giggled. “Believe me, I’ve done my fair share of chasing Alphas. The problem is that under the good looks is a big, fat ball of nothing. I don’t care what ‘most girls’ are doing. I need a little Beta in my life right now.” George stared at her in awe, causing her to duck her head a little, tucking one of those bouncy curls behind her ear. “I hope that’s okay with you.” When he didn’t answer right away she started fidgeting in her seat. Then the unthinkable happened. George reached over to her side of the table and tucked another of those wayward curls behind her other ear, tracing the curve of her soft cheek to her chin to lift her head. Those startling blue eyes of hers raised to meet his deep, brown orbs, and he smiled at her softly.
“I’m glad to have met you tonight, Kara,” he said, his mellow voice dripping with sincerity. The two smiled, each understanding what the other wasn’t saying. George felt something shift inside him. This woman was completely crazy to be hanging out with him. Crazy and enthusiastic and funny and utterly gorgeous! “Have I mentioned that you’re gorgeous yet?” he said, seemingly out of the blue.
Kara ducked her head, her cheeks pink-tinged at the compliment. “I honestly can’t remember the last time someone paid me such a huge compliment, Georgie! You’re making me blush.”
“And what a lovely blush it is,” the man said smoothly, withdrawing to his side of the table as he spotted the server returning with their meals. Kara huffed, the blush spreading at an alarming rate across her face and that enchanting neck that he suddenly wanted to nibble on. Forcing himself to calm down, lest he scare her away, George took a bite of his perfectly prepared chicken dish and luxuriated in the textures and tastes. When he came back to himself, his date was looking at him in open adoration.
“Are you sure you’re not an Alpha?” she asked a trifle breathlessly. “You’re moving a little fast at charming me out of my panties.” She grabbed the water to her right and took a fortifying sip. When she mustered the courage to look at her date, she was surprised to see his eyes were narrowed and his mouth was twisted in a scowl. “I didn't mean to insult you, George. I just-”
“No, it’s alright, Kara. I just don’t like being thought of as an Alpha male. The large majority of them are jerks and I don’t like that kind of energy in my life. I speak from the heart. If that makes me reckless or ‘charming’... I never want you to think I’m trying to play games with you. And for the record, I’m not in a rush to get into your panties.”
The woman blinked at such a blatant statement. “Really?”
“Really, really. Kara, I’ve seen Alpha males at work. They’re fast. And they’re always looking for the BBD - the bigger, better deal,” he explained at her confused look. “Us nerds like to take our time. We like to savor a good thing. We appreciate what is given into our keeping because we may not ever get it again. We don’t take the things that we have for granted.” He was once again staring directly into her beautiful eyes, silently begging her to understand him. Kara was the first to break their staring contest.
“You… You are intense, George. I um… I can honestly say that this is the most unique first date I’ve ever been on! I like it,” she admitted shyly. George couldn’t believe his good fortune. Not only was she still hanging around after this small taste of his rich inner life, she seemed to enjoy his company! “Are you really willing to go slow with me?” She sounded a little wobbly for the first time that night. George took the hand that wasn’t enjoying the duck entree and smiled again.
“Believe me, Precious. When it comes to you and me, we have all the time in the world.”
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